The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that $4.9 million in grants will go to six state fish and wildlife agencies to help conserve and recover species of greatest conservation need through the State Wildlife Grants Competitive Program.
Priority is given to multistate, cooperative conservation projects that demonstrate measurable performance results and benefit SGCN. This federal funding will be matched by $2.9 million in non-federal funds provided by states and their partners for projects helping SGCN and their habitats.
The SWG Competitive Program, part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grants program, awards grants for projects that implement strategies and actions to conserve SGCN contained in approved state comprehensive wildlife conservation plans (also known as state wildlife action plans). Funding for the grants comes from fiscal year 2011 appropriations for the SWG Competitive Program.
All 56 states and territorial wildlife agencies have approved state comprehensive wildlife conservation plans, which collectively provide a nationwide blueprint for actions to conserve SGCN. The plans were created through a collaborative effort among state and federal agencies, biologists, conservationists, landowners, sportsmen and the general public. Each plan then was reviewed and approved by a national team that included members from the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as directors from state wildlife agencies.